Wednesday, October 23
Springfield
6:00 p.m.
Missouri State University
vs
Saint Louis
No. 15 Bears Soccer Hosts Saint Louis for In-state Showdown
October 21, 2024 | Men's Soccer
| No. 15 Missouri State (10-2-1, 5-0-1 MVC) vs. Saint Louis (5-2-6, 3-0-3 Atlantic 10) | |
| Date | Wednesday, October 23 | 6:00 p.m. CT |
| Location | Springfield, Missouri | Missouri State University |
| Site | Betty & Bobby Allison South Stadium |
| Admission | Free |
| Promotion | SPS Night + FSL Night + Jersey Theme Night |
| Bag Policy | Bag Policy - Missouri State (missouristatebears.com) |
| Follow Along | ESPN+ | Live Stats | Game Notes (PDF) |
| Missouri State | Men's Soccer Home Page | Twitter/X | Instagram | Facebook |
SPRINGFIELD - No. 15 Missouri State men's soccer (10-2-1, 5-0-1 Missouri Valley Conference) looks to extend its five-match winning streak and 10-match unbeaten streak in an in-state matchup against Saint Louis (5-2-6, 3-0-3 Atlantic 10) on Wednesday, Oct. 23 at Betty & Bobby Allison South Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m. and admission will be free.
On the Pitch
- Missouri State is coming off back-to-back 12-win seasons under head coach Michael Seabolt, who is in his third season at the helm of the program. MoState has won at least 12 games each season since 2019.
- Since the beginning of the 2019 season, Missouri State men's soccer holds the best Division I overall record of 81-13-9 (.830), best conference record of 44-2-4 (.920) and second-best home record of 45-6-4 (.855), behind Hofstra (42-4-5, .873). The Bears are tied for the fourth-best win percentage in 2024 (.808).
- Seabolt earned his 34th career win in his 50th match as head coach of the Bears on Sunday against Bowling Green to become the second-winningest coach in program history. He passed Frank Dinka (33). Jon Leamy leads with 309 wins.
- MSU has made five straight NCAA appearances, joining Kentucky, Indiana, Wake Forest, Pittsburgh, New Hampshire, Georgetown, Marshall and Clemson as the only nine DI teams in the nation to make every tournament since 2019.
- Missouri State is ranked No. 15 in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 Poll released last Tuesday. The ranking moved the Bears up two spots from the previous poll. Missouri State has been ranked at one point in seven consecutive seasons.
- Missouri State is 9-0-1 in its last 10 matches after a 2-1 home victory over Bowling Green on Sunday. Senior forward Fumiya Shiraishi scored his fifth goal of the season in the 58th minute. Senior forward Jesus Barea scored his fourth game-winning goal in the 84th minute to put his total for the season at 13, the sixth-most by a Bear in a season.
- Barea is second in the nation in total goals this season. Only Akron's Emil Jaaskelainen (16) has more.
- Barea leads DI in shots on goal per game (3.15) and is third in shots per game (4.69) behind Cornell's Alex Harris (5.15) and Jaaskelainen (4.79). Barea averages one goal per match, trailing only Jaaskelainen (1.14). Barea is tied for second in points per game (2.15) and total points (28) with Harris.
- Barea is third all-time in Missouri State history in goals (32) and points (81). He became the all-time program leader in shots on Sunday, surpassing Jamal Sutton's 236 shots he took from 2000-03. Barea is tied for fourth in matches started (80) and will tie Mark Modersohn for third (81) if he starts on Wednesday.
- MoState is sixth in DI in shot accuracy with 87 of 172 shots being on goal (.506). Missouri State was fourth in that category last season (124-of-240; .517). Barea is fourth in DI in individual shot accuracy with 41 of 61 shots being on goal (.672). He was fourth in shot accuracy last year (29-of-48; .604).
- Senior goalkeeper Will Lowry has three solo shutouts in his eight starts. He is seventh in the nation in goalkeeper goals against average (.599). Lowry has 12 saves in just over 751 minutes of play.
- Missouri State's stifling defense has allowed five goals during its 10-match unbeaten streak. The Bears have only allowed 18 shots on goal in that span. MoState is outshooting opponents 172-80 across the season.
Series History vs. Saint Louis
- The Missouri State Bears and Saint Louis Billikens go head-to-head for the 16th time overall and the first time ever in Springfield. All previous 15 matchups have been in St. Louis.
- Two of Missouri State's first three NCAA Tournament appearances came to an end at the hands of Saint Louis in 1997 and 2009. The Billikens have been ranked in seven of the 15 matchups against the Bears.
- Last season, Missouri State and Saint Louis battled to a 1-1 draw at Robert R. Hermann Stadium on Sept. 27, 2023. Saint Louis got on the board first in the 12th minute on a goal from defender Diego Konincks. Missouri State responded in the 35th minute when defender Michael Peck scored his first career goal and his lone goal of 2023.
Scouting the Billikens
- Saint Louis enters Wednesday's match 5-2-6 with a 3-0-3 Atlantic 10 record. The Billikens started the season with a 2-0 win over Indiana (Aug. 23). SLU also has wins at Portland (Sept. 13), Loyola Chicago (Sept. 28), Duquesne (Oct. 5) and at Rhode Island (Oct. 12).
- The Billikens most recently drew with VCU, 1-1, on Saturday at home. Senior forward Luis Lara scored his seventh goal of the season in the 14th minute before VCU's Andrey Salmeron tied it up in the 74th minute. SLU outshot VCU 16-4.
- Saint Louis leads the Atlantic 10 in corner kicks per game (6.92) which is seventh in the nation. It is second in the league in shots on goal per game (6.31) only trailing Missouri State (6.50). It also leads the A-10 in team goals against average (.692), good for tied for 10th in Division I.
- Seven Saint Louis players combine for the team's 16 goals this season. Lara's seven goals lead the Billikens. He had 16 across three seasons at Stetson (2021-23). Senior forward Matthew Wrobel is the one other Billiken with multiple goals (3). Senior forward Seth Anderson is tied atop the A-10 in assists with eight.
- Senior goalkeeper Jeremi Abonnel has played every minute for the Billikens at net this season. The second-team All-Conference player has six shutouts this season, which is tied for third in the nation. Abonnel played for Mid-America Christian University under now-MSU Associate Head Coach Danny Frid. Abonnel was the Sooner Athletic Conference Goalkeeper of the Year and an NCAA All-SAC First Team player in 2021.
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Players Mentioned
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